Please let it not be true!

Many months ago (I tried looking for the Post, but couldn't find it) I expressed the fear that I was becoming allergic to draught bitter. Unlikely you would think, after years of inoculation, bravely borne. But the odd thing was that over the years it seemed (but I couldn't prove) that I never appeared to have the allergies abroad that I suffered at home. Last year, in China, the stomach upset I had had for some months disappeared and then reappeared after returning to UK. Then, two weeks ago, when we were paying a hurried trip to Britain to sort out phones, teeth etc., I got a sudden and severe attack of allergy - this after a purposeful daily intake of bitter. When we left the country it cleared. It can't be alcohol as we are assiduously self-administering that in other forms.

Please let it not be true!

FOOTNOTE

John decided on 'Ignis fatuus'.

Emily Dickinson says -
'Better an ignis fatuus than no belief at all.'

Who is 'foolish' and who is 'fire' we were asked. John immediately claimed to have the element of 'fire'. There is no question but that I am 'foolish' - why else travel with a 'will o' wisp' like John.

At Wedza, in Zimbabwe - a place you can only reach the 'day-after-tomorrow'- the vlei would light with greenish marsh fires on bitter winter nights and the indentured labourers tending the tobacco barns would run from the night spirits.

So here we are 'foolish fires' - lasting for a brief spell in the night.

Let us hope we tread lightly on the earth and do no great or permament damage to it.

BACK ON THE ROAD - FROM WEVELGEM TO BOHINJ SLOVENIA

At Vanomobil collecting the Wheely Cabin with leak repaire and pump replaced and a mildewed fridge - I had left the door ajar!

then to Tournai for a Belgian barbecque.

Then Douzy where there was a small lake with fish where I ruined my reel and caught nothing. Loads of French junior school kids with teachers and the loos and showers in glass boxes!

Liechenstein and camping under the mountain Sundial -

Next to a lovely riverside in the Italian Tirol that smelt of cowdung -
finally a 7 km tunnel under the Karavanken Mountains to Slovenia. Half way through the tunnel gets darker, narrower and has no giant fans or distance indicators!
We have arrived in the Balkans!

RELATIVELY SPEAKING

Here is T and her knives. T allowed us to stay in her lovely flat and garden but here she is explaining that all good things come to an end. Fish and guests stink after three days and she has been a good daughter long enough. Here is her garden where I spent my happy hours. Thanks again T. Here is R under her birthday present of suitable stars. Haloes don't keep the rain off so well. Here is R's veggie patch and here is the garden where we watched four rural fox cubs dancing in the moonlight - beautiful wild beasts.Lovely to see K too. I failed to get a photo of B and A who came to supper with prezies - thanks B for lunch in London. I miss you all!

ANOTHER STAGE IN OUR TRAVELS

Laika's leaks got worse and her pump started to fail from overwork even though it was seldom turned on. We took the wheely cabin/old dog back to Vanomobil in Wevelgem for repairs under warranty and headed off to repair teeth, phones, eyes and ears for ourselves and to collect the essential post. Accessing accounts turned out to both impossible and expensive on the first leg of our journey snd it was time to make things work. As you see John was the worse for our travels and needed civilising. He was also suffering from a diet of cows milk and was badly afflicted by hayfever resulting in time in the corner of the room for health reasons.

We had a week.
We had to hit it running the day we arrived to get the required result by the day we left. Good luck was essential but also the generosity of family ready to give us car, flat and their precious time. Thank you darlings! Old parents are hard work and you did us proud. We knew we couldn't manage to see friends but so appreciated those who could come out of their way to see us. Cheers dears! The rest of you we will see anon!
Here is a friend we can't do without - Makays of Cambridge! The most woman friendly and excellent hardware shop!

John's extensive and thorough research led us to hire a car in Belgium as the economic and most efficient travel from Wevelgem to England. Ridiculous but true. In fact we had averaged about 500km a week in our first three months. In England John drove 1000 miles in a week. In England this means hours and hours on the road. John spent 16 hours driving to family. I spent 16 hours happily gardening - an occupation I love. Another prespective is that we have driven from England to Slovenia in a week - about 800 miles but less time in the wheely cabin cab than John spent in England in the Suzuki!

Here is a photo of a thieving skolly bird for small T. That is a seagull T.
Skollies are thieves in Cape Town and gulls are also called skolly birds.

Two Jokes

Not something we do much of, jokes. But here goes. One of them is an old, but favourite joke, the other I made up tonight (C).

1. Q.) What is the difference between an encounter of a cockerel and a hen and a Live Sex Show in Amsterdam?
A.) One is all flapping and clucking and the other is all .......

2. Q.) What is the difference between a cockerel and a lawyer?
A.) A cockerel clucks defiance and a lawyer.......

Fiestas Folkloricas

Something that occurred to us recently was that, the weird ways Johnny Foreigner goes about things apart, we hadn't experienced much actual folk culture. This was all set to rights when, two nights ago, Ruth and I found ourselves dancing the polka on an alp in Liechtenstein to the sounds of a local accordionist and gunfire.

I must say that I had hoped to live the reality of ethnic cultures a little more intensely. Oh, how I had looked forward to the pleasures of Lapp Dancing and Pole Dancing. But, no, not a touch!